They call it ugly. How I came to love the 'Incredible Bulk'

An appreciation of the Beverly Center, seen through lenses of then and now.

- BY SHELBY GRAD

ALLEN J. SCHABEN Los Angeles Times A MAMMOTH parking structure takes up the first five stories of the monolithic Beverly Center in L.A.

The Beverly Center opened in 1982 to tough reviews.

"The Big Brown Blob." "The Incredible Bulk." “An ugly heavy mass.” The eight-story shopping monolith stretched for several blocks without courtyards, architectural setbacks or landscaping and barely a tree in sight.

And forget trying to blend in with the surrounding community. The first five stories of the mall consist of a mammoth parking structure topped by three floors of shopping.

The man behind the much-debated design, Louis Naidorf, died this month. His mall was just a footnote in an obituary that celebrated his master work, the Capitol Records tower.

But Mr. Naidorf, I will always be grateful for what you created.

1980s mall life

The Beverly Center was the playground of my youth, a battleground for my body and a challenging landmark whose grace took 30 years to truly appreciate.

In my youth, it was all fun, spending hours with my friends running around the mall, discovering the food court, strolling into every shop, people watching.